I am a Tombstone Tourist: someone who loves to wander cemeteries. I find it akin to visiting a museum: an opportunity to enjoy rarely seen sculpture, intricate carvings, and amazing architecture, all in a tranquil outdoor setting. This blog is about cemetery culture, art, history, issues of death, and genealogy - subjects of current relevance. I usually find something that intrigues me and makes me want to dig deeper. Care to join me? Read on...

Friday, June 15, 2012

The Bicentennial of the War of 1812

A Battle in the War of 1812

Map of Battle Sites

This
Monday, June 18, will mark the 200th anniversary of the beginning of
the War of 1812. Although a
fledgling country, the United States showed it’s moxie by declaring war on the
greatest power in the world, Great Britain.

Americans
were tired of Great Britain’s domineering attempts to restrict U.S. trade, the
Royal Navy’s impressments of U.S. sailors into service for Britain, and the
continual thwarting of America’s expansion into the western territory. The war would last almost three years,
ending on February 17, 1815 with the Treaty of Ghent.

American’s
viewed the War of 1812 as the second war for independence. (They had fought their first war for
freedom from English rule almost 30 years before during the American Revolution.) This time Americans vowed to eliminate
Britain’s hold on North America for good.
It was time for the United States to become totally independent from
Great Britain and Europe.

Although
the War of 1812 does not garner much attention now, it was a catalyst for many
amazing and familiar events and facts that are part of our lives today.

Canada, British and Indian Troops

It
was during this war that the U.S. invaded Canada three times. In the U.S., the War of 1812 is seldom
celebrated but in Canada it is heralded as a time when the Canadians stood
against the U.S. and won - all three times.

Burning of the White House

While
the American Revolution won the U.S. its independence – the War of 1812 cemented
it. America came out of this war
as a power to be reckoned with.
Patriotism was high after the British army captured Washington and
burned the White House on August 24, 1814. American citizens saw this act as barbaric and rallied
together for the defeat of the British.

Original Star Spangled Banner

Francis Scott Key

The
U.S. national anthem was written less than two weeks later during the Battle of
Fort McHenry on September 3, 1814. Francis Scott Key watched the conflict from
aboard the HMS Minden where he was being held captive. Key was so inspired by the fight that
he penned the words to what we now know as the Star Spangled Banner.
However, when he wrote it, Key titled it the Defence of Fort McHenry.

'Uncle Sam' Wilson

It
is also said that Uncle Sam was created during the War of 1812. New York meat
packer, Sam Wilson, packaged rations for the military in barrels stamped “E.A.
- U.S.” The initials E A stood for Elbert Anderson, the producer,
and rumor had it that U.S. stood for ‘Uncle Sam’ Wilson, the meat packer. (The
image of the white bearded Uncle Sam came about during World War One.)

In
April 1905, the last veteran of the War of 1812 died. New York City held a Grand Parade to honor Private Hiram
Silas Cronk, who died just two weeks after his 105th birthday. Cronk had spent his life after the war
as a farmer in the state of New York.

Monument Dedicated to the War of 1812

Arlington Cemetery

Also,
in 1905, construction workers discovered the bodies of fourteen soldiers of the
War of 1812 at what is now the Washington Navy Yard. The remains were buried at Arlington National Cemetery later
that year. It wasn’t until April
1976, the year of the United State’s Bicentennial, that the Daughters of the War
of 1812 had a monument erected at Arlington as a tribute to the fourteen
unknown soldiers and sailors of the War of 1812, and to all others who had also
died in that war.

Johnny Horton

For many of us
growing up in the sixties, singer Johnny Horton gave us our first understanding of the War of
1812 - set to music.Horton was a rockabilly singer known for his historical ballads. He recorded his number one chart topper, The Battle of New Orleans in 1958.

Jimmy Driftwood

The
song was written in the 1950’s by Jimmy Driftwood, an Arkansas school teacher. Driftwood wanted his
students to become more interested in history, so he decided to put major
events to music to get their attention. In 1960, the song won a Grammy for Best Country and Western
Recording.

Although the War of 1812 is known as the "Forgotten War," it is because of these three years of battles that America stepped out from Britain's shadow and became a world power to be taken seriously. Let us remember this on Monday and honor what our ancestors believed in and fought for.

About Me

I
love wine and will take any chance to sip, savor and share it! Hence, Joy’s JOY
of Wine http://joysjoyofwine.blogspot.com,
a weekly blog about all things wine. I've been in the industry for 15
years as a winery owner, marketing director, speaker, writer, wine judge, and
100% vino girl!

I'm
also a professional freelance magazine and book writer uncorking articles about
wine, food, history, travel, cemetery history and culture. My interest in
cemetery culture led to another great, or maybe I should say
"grave" gig, my weekly blog: A Grave Interest http://agraveinterest.blogspot.com where I get to travel around the country and speak about cemetery topics for genealogy, history and
education conferences.

I suppose you could say that wine is my
passion, and cemeteries are my diversion ... into another world.

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